Students of the Clow: Ascension II
by Dr. Vorlon
Summary: This is the sequel to my Ascension story. Now that she's a Sorceress, Sakura has decided to expand her talents with a little help from Ms. Mackenzie. COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish I did.  
  
It had been over two weeks since Sakura Avalon had returned to Reedington after ascending to the rank of Sorceress-two weeks since she battled and defeated Walker. And yet it seemed as though the celebration was still continuing.  
  
Sakura's Ascension ceremony had taken place in Hong Kong. At the time, only 30 magic-users were able to attend. Since then, Sakura had received visits from about 9 other magicians who, for one reason or another, had not been present on that day. Each one of them had come to personally congratulate Sakura on achieving what only a handful of people has ever achieved. Kero said that she should probably expect there to be many more such visits over the next few months. Sakura was not too thrilled about that notion. Although she was flattered that so many people were willing to travel great distances just to give her a verbal pat on the back, it was somewhat inconvenient to have people frequently dropping by unannounced.  
  
But there was one magic user who had recently arrived (or should I say, "returned") to Reedington--someone who Sakura was going to visit as opposed to vice-versa. It was a reunion she had been eagerly waiting for.  
  
Sakura approached the temple. Sweeping up some leaves, in front of the temple was a tall, beautiful woman with long, red hair. The woman stopped sweeping-as if she could sense Sakura's presence-and turned around. She then looked at Sakura, with mysterious brown eyes, and smiled.  
  
"Good morning Sakura."  
  
"Good morning Ms. Mackenzie!" Sakura was in a very good mood; her favourite teacher in the whole wide world was back.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Yes, I realise that this is an extremely short chapter, but I didn't have a whole lot of time to work on it. Besides, it's only the prologue. The next chapter will be a lot longer, I promise. (That is, if you WANT me to keep going!) 


	2. Chapter 2

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
Layla Mackenzie had been Sakura's math teacher once before going to England. Despite the fact that she had been helpful in capturing the Clow Cards on more than one occasion, Li never really did trust her. Sakura, on the other hand, felt nothing but great affection towards Ms. Mackenzie. In some ways, she almost thought of her as a second mother.  
  
"So Sakura, I understand that you were successful in achieving Ascension," Ms. Mackenzie said. "I'm very proud of you. I regret not being able to have attended."  
  
"Oh, that's okay," said Sakura. "It seems a lot of people have that same regret, as I've been finding out lately."  
  
"I believe you'll find that being a Sorceress will earn you a great deal of respect," Ms. Mackenzie said. Her smile faded away before she quietly added, "And it may also earn you a few enemies."  
  
"Enemies?" Sakura did not like the sound of that.  
  
"But I don't think that's something you'll have to worry about," Ms. Mackenzie's smile came back. "After all, you're a very kind person Sakura and it's because of that that most people like you."  
  
Sakura couldn't help but blush.  
  
"Speaking of people who like you, how's Li?"  
  
"Li? Oh, uh, he's fine."  
  
"I trust that he's not too jealous of you for receiving Ascension?"  
  
"No, of course not. In fact, Li actually helped me out a great deal."  
  
"Then you're still friends?"  
  
"Yeah, we're still... friends." It was then that Sakura placed her hand in her pocket, in order to conceal from Ms. Mackenzie the ring that Li had given her. So far, she not told anybody about it, save for Kero and Madison. She was worried that if her father found out about this, she might not be allowed to see Li anymore. Aiden was a good and fair man, but Sakura felt that in this case he just wouldn't understand. Actually, she was probably more worried about what would happen if Tori found out...  
  
"Well, I'm glad that you two are still getting along," Ms. Mackenzie grinned. "I've always felt that you two belonged together. 'Sakura Showron': it has a nice 'ring' to it, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
Sakura gasped. Could it be? Did Ms. Mackenzie actually know?  
  
"You're not going to tell anybody, are you Ms. Mackenzie?"  
  
Ms. Mackenzie smiled. "Don't worry Sakura. If Tori does find out, it won't be from me."  
  
Sakura gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks Ms. Mackenzie."  
  
"Anytime Sakura. You know that if you ever need my help with anything, you have only to ask."  
  
"Well, now that you mention it, there is something else I was wondering if I could ask you about. You know a lot about magic, right?"  
  
"Yes... when the need arises."  
  
"Then I was wondering... if I could be your apprentice?"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Yeah, I know I'm nasty for leaving cliffhangers, but that's just my style! At least I made this chapter longer! Please R & R! 


	3. Chapter 3

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
"You did what?" asked a shocked Li Showron.  
  
Sakura was paying a visit to Li. She had gone to his house to tell him about her desire to become Ms. Mackenzie's apprentice. The way in which he reacted to this news was not to be unexpected.  
  
"Well, I figured that there's a lot she could teach me about magic. She's already been the best math teacher I've ever had, so why not a magic teacher?"  
  
"You know how I feel about her, Sakura," said Li.  
  
"Oh, come on Li! In all the time we've known Ms. Mackenzie, she hasn't done anything bad! In fact, she's been nothing but help! You may not trust her Li, but I think she's great!"  
  
Li sighed. "So what did she say when you asked her?"  
  
"Well, she said she'd think it over first and that she would let me know right away. But I'm pretty sure she'll say yes; at least I hope she does."  
  
"I don't get it Sakura. Why this sudden interest in learning about magic?"  
  
"Well, now that I'm a Sorceress, I just feel as though I should maybe expand my talents a little, know what I'm saying?"  
  
"If you wanted to learn more about what you can do with your special powers, you could've asked me. Don't forget that I've spent most of my childhood learning the art of magic."  
  
Sakura hadn't thought about that. "I hadn't thought about that."  
  
"I'd be more than happy to teach you what I know. I would allow us to... spend more time together."  
  
Ever since he made his "proposal" to her after the Ascension ceremony, Li had been putting in more of an effort to be less shy around Sakura. He had to be. After all, once you've revealed to a person that you love them with all of your heart, there's no going back.  
  
Sakura blushed and smiled. "Thank you Li. I think it's sweet you want to spend more time with me. In fact, I was kinda hopping you would say something like that."  
  
"Really? Why is that?"  
  
"Well, because-"  
  
But before Sakura could answer, she suddenly sensed something. It was as if a strong force of magic was approaching them.  
  
"Li, do you feel that?"  
  
"Yes Sakura. Someone's coming-someone who has magic powers!"  
  
Just then, there was a knock at the door.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Well I hope this one wasn't too lame for you. I'm suffering from a mild case of writer's block. Hopefully, it will pass soon. R&R! 


	4. Chapter 4

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish I did.  
  
Upon opening the door, Sakura found herself face-to-face with a pre-teen boy not much older than herself. He had blue eyes (with glasses overtop), short, blond hair, and was fairly well dressed. It was from this boy that Sakura and Li were sensing the magical energy.  
  
"Oh, hello there," the boy said in a rather polite-sounding voice. "I hope I'm not intruding or anything, but are you by any chance Sakura Avalon?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, that would be me," replied Sakura.  
  
The boy's face lit up with excitement as he began to eagerly shake Sakura's hand. "It is such a pleasure to meet you at last! My name is Chron, Chron Eternal. Oh, I've been waiting a very long time for this moment!"  
  
Sakura was a bit surprised. "You have? Why?"  
  
"I've spent much of my life reading and studying everything there is to know about Clow Reed. You might say I'm something of a fan. I had only learned a year ago that the Cards had been released and recaptured by a young girl named Sakura. It took me a while to track you down, but here we are at last! I simply can't put into words what a thrill it is to be in the presence of the actual Card Mistress herself!"  
  
Sakura was starting to feel a little bit embarrassed over all of the attention and praise Chron was giving her. Li, on the other hand, seemed a bit irritated by it.  
  
"Well, it's, uh, nice to meet you too Chron," Sakura managed to say.  
  
"I don't suppose you have the Cards with you by any chance?" Chron asked. "I've always wanted to see them up close!"  
  
It was then that Sakura began to sense something else about Chron. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she just had this eerie feeling that he wasn't telling her the whole truth-that he was hiding something. Li could also sense it.  
  
"I'm... sorry Chron, but I'm afraid I don't have the Cards on me right now," said Sakura, and it was the truth. "They're in my bedroom at home."  
  
"I see. Well, perhaps you could take me to your home and show them to me?"  
  
"Ummm, this really isn't a good time for me..."  
  
"I think you should leave now," said Li, stepping in.  
  
Chron gave a look of disappointment. "Oh, okay. Perhaps some other time, then? When it's more to your convenience?"  
  
"Yeah, m-maybe," stammered Sakura. Chron's presence was now definitely starting to make her feel uncomfortable.  
  
"Well, I'll see you around then," and with that, Chron left.  
  
Li closed the door and locked it. "What was THAT all about?"  
  
"I don't know," replied Sakura, "but that was creepy! There's something not right about him; I can feel it."  
  
"Yeah, me too. I hope that's the last we've seen of him, but chances are it probably isn't. Anyway, we'll figure it out later. I believe you were saying something to me before he came?"  
  
"Oh, that's right! As you know, there's a fair coming to town this week. If you really serious about spending more time with me, I figured maybe we could go together."  
  
"You mean... like a date?"  
  
"...Why not?"  
  
Li smiled. "Sounds good to me!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please R&R! 


	5. Chapter 5

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
Later that night, Sakura received a phone call.  
  
"Mmph, hello?"  
  
"Hello Sakura," said a pleasantly familiar voice. "I'm sorry to call so late. I hope I didn't wake you."  
  
"Ms. Mackenzie? Uh, no, I've been awake all night," lied Sakura. She had been sleeping peacefully, but she didn't mind being disturbed-not by Ms. Mackenzie anyway.  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that I've thought about what you asked me."  
  
Sakura sat up in her bed. "Yeah?"  
  
"...Yes."  
  
"You mean I can be your apprentice?"  
  
"In a way, you've always been my apprentice. Yes, I would be happy to teach you anything you wish to know."  
  
At that moment, Sakura felt like cheering for joy. (But she didn't want to wake up anybody else in the house so she restrained herself.)  
  
"That's great Ms. Mackenzie! So when do we start?"  
  
"Anytime you want. You can come by tomorrow."  
  
"Perfect! I'll be there! Say, uh, Ms. Mackenzie... as long as we're talking, do you mind if I ask you a question?"  
  
"I believe you just did."  
  
"...Right. Well, can I ask you another question after this one?"  
  
"You can ask as many questions as you want Sakura."  
  
"Well, I've kinda asked Li out on a date this weekend. It didn't occur to me until later that we STILL have trouble expressing our feelings for each other! Of course, Li has been making more of an effort to over come this problem and I think that I should be doing the same."  
  
"Tell me Sakura, when Li made his proposal to you, did you accept or decline?"  
  
"Well I accepted of course," said Sakura, glancing down at her ring. "You know that."  
  
"And it was your idea to go out on a date, wasn't it?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Well then, it sounds to me like you're already expressing to Li in your own way how you feel. However, if you feel as though you must actually say the words then just say them. You may find that it's a lot easier than you think."  
  
If they had been talking through a videophone, Ms. Mackenzie would've seen Sakura smile. "Thanks Ms. Mackenzie. I think I'll do just that!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Sorry this one took longer to come out. I was having some trouble coming up with ideas. (And I'm not sure that this chapter turned out as good as I would've liked it to.) The good news is, next week is exam week for me, after which I'll have a lot more time to work on my writing and hopefully turn out better chapters! R&R! 


	6. Chapter 6

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish it did  
  
Soon the big day of the fair came. It was a very important night-a night to remember, for this was the night that Sakura and Li went out on their first official date.  
  
Both of them had dressed up in their nicest outfits for the occasion. At first, the date started out pretty mildly. They went on a few rides and had a bite to eat, but not a great deal of romance. In fact, there wasn't even much talking between the two of them. Since it was their first date, they were both a little nervous and unsure about how to go about things. (Especially Sakura.)  
  
At one point during this date, the couple came across a ring toss game and Sakura asked Li if he could possibly win her a stuffed bunny. (Hmmm, something about this sounds freakishly familiar to me... Oh well, it's probably just my imagination.) It took him a number of tries, but Li was eventually successful. Sakura was very thankful for the gift and now had enough courage to hold Li's hand.  
  
It was at this point that they ran into Chelsea and Zachary, two of Sakura's classmates and friends.  
  
"Hey Sakura!" called Chelsea. "That's a great-looking bunny you have!"  
  
"Thanks," replied Sakura. "Actually, Li won it for me."  
  
"Li? I thought he was returning to Hong Kong to stay?" Chelsea then noticed that Sakura and Li were holding hands. "Say... is there something we should know about?"  
  
"Uh, know about?" Sakura said, trying to look innocent (but not doing a good job).  
  
"Yeah, I mean, first we hear that Li's going home, only to find out he's decided to stay here. Secondly, Sakura, ever since you came back from visiting Hong Kong with Li, you've been acting a little suspicious. And now we find you holding hands and winning bunnies for each other. That's got to be more than a coincidence!"  
  
"I smell a conspiracy," Zachary joined in.  
  
Sakura and Li glanced at each other, both thinking the exact same thing: 'Should we tell them?'  
  
"There's no conspiracy," Li finally said. "The truth is, I chose to stay here so I could be with Sakura. You see I'm now her fianc-"  
  
"-Errr, boyfriend!" Sakura cut in. She didn't want to give away TOO much information.  
  
"Fiancer boyfriend?" Chelsea was confused. "What's a 'fiancer boyfriend'?"  
  
"I believe that's what they call boyfriends in Canada," lied Zachary, as usual. "It's a well-known fact that in Canada, all of their money comes in the form of coins. In fact, they even have three-dollar coins with pictures of velociraptors on them! Of course that's nothing compared to-"  
  
"I think we've heard enough from you now," said Chelsea, as she began dragging Zachary away. "Velociraptors on coins... I swear, one of these days YOU'LL be extinct!"  
  
Sakura and Li were left a little puzzled.  
  
"Okay, even I could tell that one was a lie," said Sakura.  
  
"I'm still trying to figure out how that guy can see where he's going when he has his eyes closed all the time," muttered Li. (Isn't it about time SOMEONE mentioned that?)  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Well I've finished my exams, which means I should have more time now to work on my writing (and hopefully turn out far better chapters!) R&R! 


	7. Chapter 7

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
After the incident with Chelsea and Zachary, Sakura and Li decided to find a quiet place to talk. They ended up going to the spot where Sakura first caught the Glow Card.  
  
"I'm... sorry about what happened back there," said Li. "I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your friends."  
  
"Oh, no Li, no! No, please don't take it like that! It's not that I'm ashamed of what we have, really I'm not. I'm just worried about what will happen if too many people find out. If my dad, or worse yet, Tori, ever found out about this-"  
  
"You mean you still haven't told them?" asked a shocked Li.  
  
"Well, no, not really," replied Sakura. "Try to understand Li, my family doesn't exactly have the same customs as yours. I'm just not sure how my dad would react to learning that his 11-year-old daughter is already affianced. And I already have a good idea as to how Tori would react and believe me, I wouldn't involve a lot of well-wishing, that's for sure!"  
  
"I suppose you're right," sighed Li. "Still, it's very hard for me. This isn't the same as it was with Meilin. This time I've actually found someone worth... loving. And I want the whole world to know."  
  
Sakura knew how Li felt. She too didn't like the idea of keeping this a secret. It was just eating her up inside, so much so that she felt like she was going to explode. But she couldn't tell her family. Not yet.  
  
But she also couldn't continue hiding her feelings from everybody.  
  
Finally, the emotion of the situation was just too much for her to take anymore. Throwing her arms around Li and burying her face in his shoulder, Sakura uncontrollably burst into tears, much to the shock of Li.  
  
"I'm sorry!" wailed Sakura, unable to control herself. "I'm so sorry! Please believe me! I do love you and I do want to marry you and if I could tell my family I would but I can't! I want to, but I just can't! I-"  
  
The next few words that came out of Sakura's mouth were somewhat inaudible, due to the amount of crying she was doing. Recovering from the shock of this, Li put his arms around Sakura and did his best to try and calm her down.  
  
"It's alright, it's okay," said Li in a comforting tone of voice. "Just let it all out." He began to gently stroke the back of her neck with his fingers. Gradually, Sakura's crying began to grow softer.  
  
"Thanks Li," Sakura said eventually. "I guess I just needed to get that out of my system."  
  
"No problem Sakura," said Li, paying no heed to the big tearstain on his shirt. He and Sakura were still holding onto each other, but that suited them just fine. Though her crying had stopped, Li continued to massage the back of Sakura's neck, since she seemed to be enjoying it.  
  
"I really do love you Li."  
  
"I know you do Sakura, I know. And I love you." Li decided that a change in conversation topic might lighten the mood. "So... how are things going with you and Ms. Mackenzie?"  
  
"Oh, pretty good," said Sakura. "I mean, it's only been a few days since we started, so I haven't learned much yet. However, she has begun to teach me one pretty cool trick-"  
  
Just then the conversation was cut short as both of them felt a very strong- and familiar-magical presence approach.  
  
"It's Chron!" gasped Sakura. "He's here!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Well I hope my writing wasn't too lame in this chapter (I'm my own worst critic I'm afraid). With Christmas just around the corner, and tons of relatives to visit, I'll probably be a little late in delivering the next chapter. So in case I don't get the chance to say it at the appropriate time, have a safe and happy holidays! 


	8. Chapter 8

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
Just then, Chron appeared, almost from out of nowhere.  
  
"Ah, Sakura! So nice to see you again! Oh, I hope I haven't interrupted anything important."  
  
"Uhhh, n-no, not really," replied Sakura (although we all know that's not true.)  
  
"What do you want?" asked Li sternly, starting to form a defensive position near Sakura (as if to say 'If you do anything that upsets the woman I love... well, I'll let you fill in the rest.)  
  
"I was just checking out the fair when I couldn't help but notice you were around. You wouldn't by any chance have the Cards with you now, do you?"  
  
Sakura was starting to sense that suspicious sensation from Chron again. "Sorry Chron, but I don't usually carry the Cards with me all the time."  
  
"I see... are you sure I can't come by your place and see them? I won't be staying in Reedington for much longer and this is probably the only chance I'll ever get to actually see the Clow Cards in person. It would mean so much to me."  
  
Sakura thought that she should probably be polite and honour Chron's request, but she couldn't shake these negative vibes she was getting from him. All of her magical instincts were telling her that this was someone who wasn't to be trusted.  
  
"I'm sorry, but uhhhhhhh, I don't let guys who I barely know into my bedroom. My dad has rules against such things." Actually, Sakura wasn't sure if Aiden really had made any policies about letting boys into her room, but she figured what Chron didn't know...  
  
"Well then, I could just wait outside while you go up to your room and get them. It really doesn't matter to me."  
  
Sakura was running low on excuses. Fortunately, Li stepped in again to help her. "Why don't you just move along now and leave Sakura alone?!"  
  
Suddenly, Chron's friendly face began to look not so friendly anymore. With one swift stroke of his hand, he knocked Li to the ground.  
  
"Li!" cried Sakura. She tried to run, but Chron grabbed her by the wrist tightly. (And I do mean tightly!)  
  
"I've tried to ask you nicely," snarled Chron in a less-than-human tone of voice, "now I'm taking the direct approach! You will take me to your house and you will give me Cards NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Let me go!" yelled Sakura, but of course, Chron did not comply. She tried to break free, but his grasp on her wrist just tightened even further. It was really starting to hurt. (And I do mean hurt!) It was then that Sakura happened to catch a glance of a jade-encrusted ring on Chron's finger...  
  
"Element Lightning!" Of course, Chron was so busy focusing his attention on Sakura, he had forgotten about Li. Using his magic, Li was able to use his magic to zap Chron with a few volts of electricity, thus weakening him long enough for Sakura to break free. Sakura rushed over to Li's side, who now had his sword drawn. "I believe I told you to leave Sakura alone!"  
  
Weakened from this 'shocking' turn of events, Chron had no choice but to retreat. "This isn't over Avalon!" And with that, Chron disappeared into thin air.  
  
"Are you okay Sakura?" Li asked, putting his sword away.  
  
Sakura rubbed her incredibly sore wrist. (And I do mean... ah, forget it.) "Yeah, I think so. Oww! Well, no, not really. Who is this Chron guy?"  
  
"I don't know," said Li, "but I think it's time we found out!"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Well as I explained before, I'm late posting this chapter because of Christmas. I spent the better part of last week visiting relatives (and getting some pretty kick-ass presents). With the hustle and bustle of the holidays now behind me, I should be able to start writing again. (Actually, come to think of it, I'm already writing again, seeing as how I've just written this chappie!) Anyhoo, please R & R because I love hearing your comments about my work-it's the only way I know if what I'm writing is any good!  
  
p.s. Happy New Year! 


	9. Chapter 9

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
In order to figure out what to do about the whole problem with Chron, Sakura decided that they should seek the advice of Ms. Mackenzie. Despite the fact that Li didn't like Ms. Mackenzie much, he agreed that it was a good idea. Chron was clearly a dangerous person and Li was willing to go to any lengths to learn what, if anything, could be done to stop him before he hurt Sakura again-even if those lengths included going to the house of the mysterious Mackenzie.  
  
"So that's what happened," explained Sakura as she sat in Ms. Mackenzie's living room (which, by the way, was well decorated, but that's not important). "Do you have any idea who this Chron Eternal is?"  
  
Ms. Mackenzie took a sip of tea and a deep breath before answering. "Yes, I do know who he is. Not personally of course, but I did learn about him during my time with Eli."  
  
"Well then who is he?" Li asked.  
  
"As you may or may not know," Ms. Mackenzie began, "Clow Reed occasionally took on others as his pupils, just as I am now teaching Sakura. One of his most promising students was a young boy by the name of Chron."  
  
This certainly came as a shock to Sakura and Li. "What? You mean that Chron was Clow Reed's apprentice?" asked Sakura.  
  
Ms. Mackenzie nodded. "He was extremely gifted and showed a lot of potential to one day become a great magician-perhaps even a Sorcerer. Clow Reed was quite fond of the boy; he often thought of him as the son he never had and even promised to one day leave the Clow Cards to him."  
  
"So what happened?" Sakura wondered.  
  
"Unfortunately, Chron became obsessed with power. His desire to be as every bit as powerful as Clow Reed consumed him. He became twisted and corrupt. Finally, Clow Reed had no choice but to sever his relations with Chron. It was a very painful decision to make. Like I said, he was very fond of Chron. But he knew it had to be done."  
  
"Woah, woah, woah! Time out!" Li stepped in. "That was centuries ago. If Chron really was Clow Reed's apprentice, he'd be long dead by now!"  
  
"Not necessarily. Did you happen to notice a ring on one of his fingers?"  
  
"Yeah, actually I did," said Sakura.  
  
"Shortly after he left Clow Reed, Chron came into possession of a magic ring that halts the ageing process. As long as he wears that ring, he will always remain the same age, biologically that is."  
  
Just then, the phone rang. Ms. Mackenzie picked it up.  
  
"Hello? Hold on... I believe it's for you Sakura."  
  
"For me?" Sakura picked up the receiver. "Hello?"  
  
"Is the Sakura? ...Well hello Sakura."  
  
Sakura gasped. "Chron!"  
  
"You didn't think you were going to get rid of me that easily, did you? By the way, I have someone hear who would like to talk to you."  
  
A terrified and familiar-sounding voice came on. "Sakura? What's going on?"  
  
Sakura gasped again. "Madison!"  
  
Chron came back on. "Noticed how scared she sounded? Well she has good reason to be! Now here's how it's going to work..."  
  
Li couldn't make out what was being said to Sakura over the phone, but judging from her facial expressions, he was betting it wasn't good news. Finally, Sakura hung up the phone, looking very morbid indeed.  
  
"What is it?" asked Li. "What did he say?"  
  
"He has Madison," Sakura replied despondently. "He wants me to bring the Cards to the front of the school at midnight tonight. If I don't... he says we'll never see Madison again!" Sakura tried her very best not to cry, but a few tears still managed to creep through. "What am I going to do Li?"  
  
Li put his hand on Sakura's. "Don't worry Sakura, we'll find a way to get her back. If you were able to defeat Walker, I'm sure you can defeat Chron!"  
  
"If you don't mind, I might have a suggestion," said Ms. Mackenzie. "Sakura, you remember that trick I taught you? Well I think it's time to put it to practical use..."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Please R&R! By the way, after reading this chapter, can any of you figure out the pun behind Chron Eternal's name? If you guess it correctly, you won't win anything (except perhaps the satisfaction of knowing you're smarter than those people who didn't get it right!) 


	10. Chapter 10

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
It was a minute to midnight when Sakura approached the front of Reedington Elementary. In her arms, she held the Card Book. At her side, stood Li.  
  
"Do you think this will work?" asked Sakura in an uncertain voice.  
  
"Mackenzie's plan is risky," replied Li, "but I do think it has a better chance of success than anything either of us could think of. Just remember what you have to do and I'm sure everything will work."  
  
As they got closer, Sakura noticed something lying in front of the school's doorway; it was a body, and the body was Madison Taylor's.  
  
"Madison!" Sakura began running frantically up to her friend and knelt down. "Madison! Madison are you okay?" But Madison did not reply. At first, Sakura thought that maybe Madison was unconscious, however, her eyes were still open. Upon closer inspection, the eyes seemed empty and vacant, as if devoid of any and all life.  
  
Li then approached them. "Be careful Sakura! This could be a trap."  
  
Sakura was getting very worried about her friend. "Come on Madison, say something! Li, what's wrong with her?"  
  
Li knelt down and placed his fingers on Madison's wrist. "I'm not sure. I can feel a pulse, but it's very weak."  
  
"Well I'm glad to see that you're punctual." Sakura and Li looked up to see Chron Eternal standing there before them.  
  
"You!" Sakura said in an uncharacteristically angry voice. "What have you done to Madison?"  
  
"Oh she's safe," said Chron. From out of his coat, he pulled a glowing blue crystal. "I have temporarily removed her soul from her body for safekeeping."  
  
Both Sakura and Li were horrified. "You what?"  
  
"That's right, I've removed her soul. I got the idea from watching Yu-Gi- Oh. Have you ever seen that show by the way? I find it very entertaining."  
  
"You're sick!" shouted Sakura, now sounding both angry and terrified. "Put Madison back!"  
  
"Oh don't worry. I have every intention of giving your friend back, just as soon as you give me the Cards."  
  
"They're not your Cards!" said Li. "They're Sakura's now!"  
  
"But they should've been mine! Clow Reed promised he would give them to me, but he broke his promise! Well I'm not going to spend the rest of eternity wondering what might've been! You're going to give me the Cards Sakura, or else kiss your rich friend's soul adios!"  
  
"All right, all right! You win!" said Sakura. "Here, take the book!"  
  
Sakura extended the book to Chron, who wasted no time in snatching it from her hands. He began to caress the cover of the book with his fingers.  
  
"Yesss... the Cards are here. I can feel their power!"  
  
Unfastening the magic seal, Chron opened the book so that he may look upon the Cards within. However, when he opened the book, the Cards were NOT inside. Instead what he found was...  
  
"SURPRISE!"  
  
Little Kero came flying out of the book, and, before you could say, 'Release the light' three times, he yanked Chron's ring off of his finger and flew back to Sakura with it.  
  
"Yes! You did it! Good job Kero!" congratulated Sakura.  
  
"Ho yeah! That was too easy!" Kero chuckled. "Hey Chron! Didn't see that one comin' did ya?"  
  
Chron was understandably stunned. "But the Cards! I could sense their energy! How...?"  
  
"I was able to disguise Kero's magical energy to resemble the energy of the Cards," said Sakura with a little hint of pride. "Just a little trick I learned from the greatest teacher in the world!"  
  
"Without your ring," Li said, "You'll start to age. Looks like we've got a bargaining chip also!"  
  
Indeed, Chron was already starting to show signs of rapid ageing as his appearance began to change from a young boy to that of a twenty-year-old man (and a very angry man he appeared to be as well.)  
  
"Give us back Madison," said Sakura, "and we'll give you back your ring."  
  
"Never!" snarled Chron. "I'll destroy you for even contemplating stealing from me!" And with that, Chron fired a blast of magical energy directly in Sakura's path.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Well, as OrchidAngel was able to guess, Chron's name means "Time Eternal". Thank you for playing our game! Oh, and as always, please R & R! 


	11. Chapter 11

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
The ageing Chron fired a blast of magical energy directly at Sakura. Normally, such a blast would be fatal. Fortunately, Sakura had come prepared for just such an event.  
  
"Shield Card!"  
  
Pulling the Shield Card from out of her pocket and summoning it's power, Sakura was able to erect a magical forcefield around herself, as well as Li and Kero, thereby protecting them from Chron's attack.  
  
"So, you DO have the Cards on you!" said Chron. "Well even the Shield Card won't protect you from my powers forever! I will have the Cards soon enough!"  
  
It was true. The power of Chron's magic was proving to be more than even the Shield Card could handle. Sakura was trying to hold it together as much as she could, but the continuing onslaught of Chron's energy beam was just so intense. In a matter of seconds, it would penetrate the Shield and that would be the end of Sakura and her friends.  
  
"C'mon Sakura!" encouraged Kero. "Ya gotta hang in there!"  
  
"I'm trying!" cried Sakura. "But I can't! He's just too strong! I'm losing strength!"  
  
It was then that Li grabbed Sakura's hand. In an instant, Sakura felt her powers begin to increase. Looking over at Li, Sakura realised that he was somehow transferring some of his magic over to her; and it was taking its toll on him.  
  
"Li, what are you doing?" asked a concerned Sakura.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing?" replied Li in a tired voice. "I'm helping you."  
  
"But you don't look so good! This is draining your magic, isn't it?"  
  
"Never mind me," Li said. "You just concentrate on keeping that shield up, or else we're all finished!"  
  
As much as she wanted to break this magical link with Li and stop his suffering, she knew that he was right; she needed his power in order to save them all. She only hoped that it wouldn't take much longer to resolve this.  
  
"You resist well," said Chron. "But you know you can't stay in there forever! You have to come out of your precious shield sooner or later!"  
  
"We don't to stay in here forever," said Sakura. "Just long enough for you to weaken!"  
  
Indeed Sakura was right. For without his immortality ring, Chron was continuing to age at an incredible rate. Within minutes he went from being a young man to a middle-aged man and then an elderly man. And the more Chron aged, the weaker his powers became. Pretty soon he was too weak to continue attacking. He ceased his energy beam and collapsed to his knees.  
  
Seeing that her nemesis was no longer posing a threat, Sakura lowered the shield and let go of Li's hand. Li also fell down on his knees with exhaustion, but he still looked a lot better than Chron did at that moment. The evil magician looked like he was over a hundred years old.  
  
"My ring...," wheezed Chron in a voiced that sounded ancient. "Please... you must give me my ring. I'll, cough, cough, I'll die without it."  
  
Sakura approached Chron with caution. "If I give you the ring, you have to give us back Madison's soul and promise to stop bothering me."  
  
"Yes, cough, yes, I promise. Please..."  
  
Sakura looked over at Kero. "Kero, give him the ring."  
  
"Well alright, yer the boss." Kero flew over and dropped the ring into Chron's bony hand. But before he could slip the ring back onto his finger, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed. His centuries- old body disintegrated into nothing but dust. After hundreds of years, Chron Eternal was dead.  
  
But Sakura felt no joy or triumph over this. "Oh no! What have I done? I never wanted to kill him! I just wanted him to leave me alone!"  
  
Li went up beside Sakura. "You shouldn't blame yourself for this Sakura. Chron's longevity was unnatural, even by magician standards. He should've died a long time ago."  
  
Sakura nodded in agreement, even though it didn't really make her feel any better.  
  
Lying on the ground where Chron had been was the ring and the blue crystal that housed Madison's soul. Kero picked up the crystal. "Well at least we got Madison again. Uhhh, any ideas as to how we're gonna restore her?"  
  
Sakura and Li looked at each other with uncertainty. Neither of them knew anything about returning stolen souls to their bodies. They had expected Chron to do that, but now that he was gone... they hadn't a clue.  
  
"Li, what are we going to do?"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Man, I can be so mean when I want to! Well, please R & R! 


	12. Chapter 12

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
Neither Sakura nor Li had any idea as to how they were going to return Madison's soul to her body. They tried holding the crystal close to Madison, hoping that maybe her soul would flow back to its proper vessel. But alas, the soul could not escape.  
  
Sakura was just about ready to cry at this point. "What are we going to do Li? What if we can't restore Madison?"  
  
"Don't say things like that Sakura!" Li said. "We'll think of something!"  
  
"Yeah, c'mon!" Kero added. "Yer the Card Mistress! We've gotten outta worst scrapes than this!"  
  
"They're right Sakura." Just then, Ms. Mackenzie stepped out of the shadows from where she had been watching the whole ordeal. "There is a way to set things right."  
  
"Ms. Mackenzie!" Sakura cried. "Do you know how we can help Madison?"  
  
Ms. Mackenzie walked over to Madison's soul-deficient body, picked it up in her arms, and said, "Yes, I know how to help her. Come with me."  
  
Without saying much else, Ms. Mackenzie led them to the shrine that she took care of. There, she laid Madison's body underneath the magic cherry blossom tree.  
  
"In order to free Madison's soul," Ms. Mackenzie said, "we first need to crack the crystal open. That would require a great deal of power-power which this tree can provide."  
  
"Then you can use the tree's power to free Madison?" Li asked.  
  
"I could," said Ms. Mackenzie, who then turned to Sakura, "but first, I think I'll let my apprentice give it a try."  
  
Sakura was surprised. "Me?"  
  
"Well, what kind of a teacher would I be if I did all the work for you?"  
  
"But, but I don't even know what I'm suppose to do."  
  
"All you have to do is focus on the goal, not the task. Think about Madison's soul returning to it's body and the rest will fall into place."  
  
Sakura glanced over at Li who gave her an encouraging nod. "You can do it Sakura."  
  
"Well alright," said Sakura. "If YOU think I can do it..."  
  
Clasping the crystal firmly in her hands, Sakura closed her eyes and began to concentrate hard. She tried to do what Ms. Mackenzie had told her: to focus only on the goal. So, she thought about Madison-about her soul being back in its body. She imagined her friend being awake and okay again. As Sakura did this, the cherry blossom tree began to glow. Gradually, Sakura began to feel the crystal in her hands becoming less and less hard. It now seemed as though it was as fragile as an eggshell-as though she could simply crush it in her hands with no effort at all.  
  
So she did.  
  
When Sakura opened her eyes, she found bits of shattered crystal in her hands. (Fortunately, none of it was sharp, so Sakura didn't get cut.) She then looked down at Madison.  
  
"Did it work? Is Madison-"  
  
The life returned to Madison's once vacant eyes. She slowly sat up, scratched the back of her head, and looked over at Sakura.  
  
"Sakura? I just had the weirdest dream..."  
  
Madison! You're back!" A teary-eyed Sakura happily hugged her revived friend.  
  
"Alright Sakura!" cheered Kero.  
  
"I knew she could do it," said Li.  
  
Ms. Mackenzie smiled with pride; she had taught her apprentice well.  
  
Madison was a little bit confused. "You mean it WASN'T a dream?"  
  
TO BE CONCLUDED  
  
Yes, only one chapter left I'm afraid! Some of you may wonder, "Well what else is left for them to do?" Well, Sakura and Li still have one problem left to resolve. But you'll have to wait until the next chappie to find out what that is! R & R! 


	13. Chapter 13

Students of the Clow: Ascension II  
  
Conclusion  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS, although I wish I did  
  
Madison was escorted home safely thanks to Ms. Mackenzie and her car. After saying goodnight (perhaps they should've said good morning since it was after midnight?), Sakura, Li, and Keroberos decided that it was time for them to be returning to their respective homes as well.  
  
"I can give you and Kero a lift home," Ms. Mackenzie said to Sakura. "And I can give you a ride as well Li, if you want."  
  
"Thanks," Li said, "but my home is in the opposite direction."  
  
Li turned around and started to leave. However, he paused for a second, turned back to Sakura, and, much to everyone's surprise, including his own, quickly kissed her on the lips.  
  
"Well, uh... I guess I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, Li headed home.  
  
Sakura just stood there stunned and speechless. This had been, after all, her first kiss on the lips from a boy. She was really starting to feel bad about keeping the full details of their relationship a secret.  
  
It was then that Ms. Mackenzie, undoubtedly sensing what Sakura was thinking, whispered something into her ear. "You know Sakura, I'm reminded of an old saying: 'We wouldn't worry about what other people thought about us if we knew how seldom they did'."  
  
Kero seemed puzzled. "What's THAT all about?" But Sakura knew what Ms. Mackenzie meant; she knew what she needed to do.  
  
The next morning, there came a knock at Sakura's door. Tori, Sakura's brother, answered the door, and was none too pleased with who he found; it was Li.  
  
"Oh, it's you," Tori said, giving Li the 'evil eye'. "What do you want?"  
  
"I was asked here by Sakura," replied Li with an 'evil eye' of his own.  
  
Sakura came running down the stairs. "Oh good! You've made it! Dad! There's someone here I want you to meet!"  
  
Aiden, Sakura's dad, entered the room. "Yes? What is it Sakura? Oh, hello there! You must be Li. You're one of Sakura's friends from school, aren't you?"  
  
"Well actually Dad," Sakura began, "he's a bit more than that..."  
  
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Li whispered to Sakura.  
  
"Definitely sure," Sakura whispered back. "Dad, Tori, I have a confession to make."  
  
"A confession?" asked Aiden with interest.  
  
"This should be good. What have you done Squirt?"  
  
That really irritated Sakura. "Don't call me Squirt, Tori! I'm trying to be serious here! I have something important to tell both of you."  
  
"And what would that be?" asked Aiden.  
  
"Li is more than just a friend. He's also more than just a boyfriend. He's my..." this was it. Once Sakura finished this sentence, there would be no going back. "...He's my fiancé!"  
  
There was dead silence throughout the house. Neither Aiden nor Tori had expected Sakura to say that. They were both at a loss for words.  
  
"I... I think I had better sit down for this one," Aiden finally managed to utter.  
  
They all decided to sit down for this one-in the living room to be more precise. Li then began explaining to Sakura's family about how he came to make his proposal to Sakura and what it meant.  
  
"It's not the same kind of engagement that you're familiar with," Li explained. "In my family, when a boy meets a girl that he feels a great deal of genuine romantic affection towards, it's tradition to declare a proposal of marriage. It doesn't mean that we plan to get married right away though. It's a way of expressing love-a way of saying, "I want to go steady with you and one day, when we're old enough, I hope that we'll get married."  
  
"And this is how you feel about my daughter?" asked Aiden.  
  
"Absolutely. I have nothing but love and respect for Sakura; I would never do anything to hurt her."  
  
Aiden looked over at Sakura. "And you feel the same way about him Sakura?"  
  
"Yes I do. I know I should've told you about this sooner, but I worried that you wouldn't understand and that I wouldn't be allowed to see Li again."  
  
Aiden thought about it for a moment. While the idea of his 11-year-old daughter already being betrothed did seem somewhat odd for him, he also wanted to consider Sakura's feelings. He then remembered his wife Natasha and how much he loved her. He also remembered how painful it was when fate took her away from him and how he would've given anything to feel that love again. If Sakura really did share these feelings for Li, then who was he to stand between them?  
  
"I understand alright," Aiden said. "I understand... that Li's family has a very lovely tradition! If you two really do like each other that much, then you should be allowed to keep seeing each other."  
  
"Really?" said Sakura. "You mean it?"  
  
"Absolutely." Aiden's wristwatch beeped. "Oh, look at the time! I have to be getting to work soon! We'll talk about this more over dinner, but I don't think there's going to be any problem with this."  
  
"Oh thank you Dad! Thank you!" Sakura gave her dad a very grateful hug before he went to get ready for work. Everything was going good so far, but there was one thing left: Tori.  
  
Tori got up and gave one long, critical stare at Li. Sakura was getting nervous; what was Tori's reaction to all of this going to be?  
  
"As long as my sister likes you," Tori finally began, "you're welcome in this house... and safe. So make sure that you never do anything that would change Sakura's opinion of you." With that, Tori left the room.  
  
"Well I guess that went as well as could be expected," said Li. "Still, I know that wasn't an easy thing for you to do Sakura."  
  
"No it wasn't, but it had to be done."  
  
"You realise that thing's for you won't be the same from now on."  
  
Sakura turned towards Li. Bending forward placing her hands on his shoulders, she gave Li a kiss on the lips of her own. However, her kiss was a little bit longer than his had been.  
  
"You're right Li. Things aren't going to be the same anymore; they're going to be better."  
  
Li smiled. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed back.  
  
THE END?  
  
Well that brings us to the end of this story. However, this is NOT necessarily the end of my fic writing! I'm already giving some thoughts to my next story. I'm thinking that I might try my hand at a Madison/Eli fic. (Yes, I'm still using the English names! That's not going to change!) I'm not sure when I'll get around to writing it though. I have some ideas for what I could do for a story of that kind, but I'm not sure if it's enough to do a whole fic. If you have any suggestions, I'd be happy to give you credit for them when I do write it. And if you would also like to be alerted via e-mail when I finally do post the first chapter, I would be happy to do that as well.  
  
Until then, toodles! 


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